Capital Swamp: The DC Resource Thread

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Ok.

I missed Mary Timony and Garland of Hours last night at Fort Reno. Anyone go?

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Friday, 18 August 2006 18:39 (seventeen years ago) link

three weeks pass...
WMUC frequency woes plus reunion news (cut and pasted from the yahoo group alumni site)

Friday, Oct. 20
- WMUC Open House: 11a-4p (You'll be able to sign up in advance to sit in on current shows....talk with current staff on air...maybe even play a few songs from "back then")
- Friday seminars for students
To be held in Room 0147 in the Tawes Fine Arts Building
Seminar #1 runs from 1:30p-3p
Seminar #2 runs from 3:15-4:30
- Friday alumni reception: Studios of UMTV in the basement of the Tawes Fine Arts Building, 5:30-7:30p

Saturday, Oct. 21
- WMUC Open House: 10a-4p (You'll be able to sign up in advance to sit in on current shows....talk with current staff on air...maybe even play a few songs from "back then")
- Football (Order tickets for the game separately....call the main ticket office (1-800-IM-A-TERP) and mention you're with the WMUC Alumni to get the group rate of $25. Limited number available and orders must be placed BY Oct. 6.)
- Tailgate (You don't need a ticket to the game to tailgate!) Working out the details for the tailgate. We could really use some help from alums in coordinating this - there's an enthusiastic current WMUC staff member helping out, but really could use the additional help from alums. Tailgate will take place in the parking lot of the Merrill College of Journalism (It's a permit only lot - alums will have to park elsewhere). Plan on bringing a side dish/dessert of your choice. More details to come via this website.
- After game party (catered) at Chet's home in University Park. Directions to come)

WMUC/WYPR engineering study
The results are back, and, as anticipated, the planned WYPR changes would have an impact on the limited WMUC broadcast area.

The engineer study recommends two options:
One, looking a a switch to alternative channels - not very likely as spaces are extremely limited and what spaces there are would require mulitiple waivers from other stations.
Two, looking at a change to the station's tower and power - which would likely, at the very least, require some cooperation and a new waiver from WAMU.

WMUC's staff board and advisory board will now look at the report options, accept comments from WMUC alumni and present the report, with some recommendations to the University's Vice President of Student affairs for further action.

Stay tuned for more news.

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Saturday, 9 September 2006 18:29 (seventeen years ago) link

WMUC's OPEN HOUSE will be held on September 20th and 21st at 7pm. This is your chance to show you're a better DJ then all the current ones we have. Not sure if the spotlight is for you? Then get involved with engineering live shows, recording music, being a part of the street team, reviewing new CDs, doing sports broadcast, battling giant robots and so much more.
We hope to see you there!

WMUC-FM
3130 South Campus Dining Hall
College Park, MD 20742
www.wmucradio.com

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 16:56 (seventeen years ago) link

Anybody go listen to Sad & Lonely djing at SALT last night? Sorry Brian, I can't do Wednesdays (was trying to help my kid with homework)

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Thursday, 14 September 2006 12:37 (seventeen years ago) link

brian and brian played very, very well. i had a great time and drank too much as always.

Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Friday, 15 September 2006 02:44 (seventeen years ago) link

one month passes...
What's next Brian Miller?

SALT

april 2003 – november 2006

Next Wednesday's SALT is it (November 1).

Big time party with us and a few of our favorite past guest DJs:

The Cricklewood Massive
Vincent Farquharson
Will Eastman
Glenn Dixon

Last night theme set by Lonely
UK hardcore rave set by Sad

more SALT pint glasses to give away

Thanks to Neal and Mike for the venue, to Benjy and Amanda and Chaim
for the drinks, and to all of our guest DJs for the music.

- Sad and Lonely

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Friday, 27 October 2006 12:40 (seventeen years ago) link

I think we're going to relaunch SALT as a podcast. It will give us an opportunity to do differently themed sets every month and force us to learn to DJ on Ableton.

I've been really excited about spinning harder dance music lately - if I start a new DJ night it will probably be a weekend night in a very small venue. Beatport has really been a kick in the ass for staying on top of new releases. Also working on some production stuff. DJing in Stockholm and Berlin in December.

Brian Miller (Brian Miller), Friday, 27 October 2006 12:49 (seventeen years ago) link

This Saturday (10/28) is the OmniPresent Syndicate's last event at Gallery in Silver Spring, featuring the East Coast Boogiemen. For a few months they were throwing really top notch events with serious names & talent.

BUT they'll be doing other events including one called "The Gathering" on November 22nd at Love. BIG BIG BIG house night:

TODD TERRY
CAJMERE aka Green Velet
CJ MACKINTOSH
MICHEAL GRAY
ROY DAVIS JR.
ROBBIER RIVERA
TIMMY VEGAS
OJI
SAM BURNS
THOMAS BLONDET
RICARDO SANTAMARIA
SHANE CAMP

like WOAH Thanksgiving weekend event making me flash back to the Ultraworld parties at the armory! And when else are you going to see a night at Love with no dress code?

Brian Miller (Brian Miller), Friday, 27 October 2006 12:58 (seventeen years ago) link

x-post

Ableton? Beatport? Hmmm, various products...

Ah, now I see (on Wikipedia):

"Ableton Live is a loop-based software music sequencer for Macintosh and Windows by Ableton. The latest major release of Live, Version 6, was released in September 2006. Relative to other software sequencers, Live is designed around the notion of being as much an instrument for live performances as a tool for composing and arranging."

"Beatport is the first authentic digital music store designed to service the evolution of the digital music culture"

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Friday, 27 October 2006 13:29 (seventeen years ago) link

Are any of those Dam Festival groups worth seeing?

cornyrocker (DC Steve), Friday, 27 October 2006 15:54 (seventeen years ago) link

I guess no ILMers checked it out (or never saw this)...

cornyrocker (DC Steve), Tuesday, 31 October 2006 16:12 (seventeen years ago) link

So how about that WKYS go-go awards thing coming to the Lincoln Theatre

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Wednesday, 1 November 2006 23:36 (seventeen years ago) link

two months pass...
R.I.P. Pookie Hudson, Maryland resident who sang way back when with the Spaniels, and Joe Stanley, sax player who I saw at JVs a year or so ago with Billy Hancock and who put out a great cd awhile back.

According to bios I've read, Stanley was a cousin to Jerry Lee Lewis and Mickey Gilley and in the segregated '50s, he was part of the Rainbows with Marvin Gaye, Don Covay and Billy Stewart, and played in Black clubs on U Street, and also in white clubs with Link Wray and with Roy Clark.

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Sunday, 21 January 2007 05:44 (seventeen years ago) link

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/20/AR2007012001496.html?nav=hcmodule


The D.C. Council's reaction to the shooting death of a teenager at a go-go show is to propose banning teenagers from clubs. Hmmm, not sure if that's the answer.

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Monday, 22 January 2007 05:08 (seventeen years ago) link

I see that punk rock events e-mail list agrees with me:

"Due to the death of a 17 year old this past weekend in a club in DC, Rep. Jim Graham is proposing emergency legislation to ban minors from clubs that serve alcohol.

there will be a hearing about the proposed law THIS THURSDAY at 2:00 p.m.

This could affect many readers of this list. Nobody under the age of 21 could go to most of the shows listed. Think no black cat, 9:30 club, Rock & Roll Hotel, Warehouse Nextdoor, etc.

People should contact Jim Graham (jim@grahamwone.com) and Adrian Fenty (you have to use e-mail form at dc.gov) and if it all possible attend the hearing on Thursday. Make it known that while you sympathize with the victim and her family, that banning minors is not the answer. "

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 01:38 (seventeen years ago) link

bump.

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 09:04 (seventeen years ago) link

yeah this is completely ridiculous - i can't imagine it's in any danger of passing though, right?

LO-NRG (teenagequiet), Wednesday, 24 January 2007 01:52 (seventeen years ago) link

baby, bathwater, etc.

am0n (am0n), Wednesday, 24 January 2007 02:47 (seventeen years ago) link


Ian Mackaye told me at Black Cat the other night that he's gonna testify against it. He lives in Graham's ward now.

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Wednesday, 24 January 2007 12:02 (seventeen years ago) link

argh please all mailing lists, message boards, and other note that Graham's bill would prohibit MINORS (under 18) from clubs, not those under 21. I still disagree with it, but it would be nice to at least argue the right point.

manifestation of the information age taken to the max (Brian Miller), Wednesday, 24 January 2007 14:05 (seventeen years ago) link

Oops.

On a different subject, are you gonna be doing any dj'ing out and about (or online) soon ...Are there any regular dj nights you (or others) like around here these days..

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Wednesday, 24 January 2007 15:24 (seventeen years ago) link

Not bitching at you, more at the punk mailing list and another forum I read that went through the same misinterpretation.

I'm opening next Friday at the Juan MacLean DJ set at the Black Cat, and the Saturday after that at the Rock & Roll Hotel with Flosstradamus.

There's been some major realignment in the DJ scene here over the past few months, let's see...

There have been a few nights starting at the Rock and Roll Hotel, but although they have great booth equipment their soundsystem is really set up for live acts, not DJs. They also added an upstairs DJ booth, we'll see how that changes the space. Buzzlife has greatly increased the frequency of their events at different locations, but they're still looking for a long term venue. There aren't any more big house nights aside from what you see on the schedule at Five.

Oh Snap! at Wonderland ended but Tittsworth is starting a new monthly there that should be a lot of fun and without a lot of the VA crowd that Oh Snap! was drawing.

More upscale lounges opening, still no Red-style dance clubs (I don't know why someone hasn't tried that on H St - Sanctuary is great but it's tiny).

There are a LOT of new nights at Selam (little Ethiopian bar at 15th & U) - there's something (leaning toward classic house/disco/older dancehall/funk) over there almost every Friday and Saturday night now, the place may become sort of a launch pad/incubator for new nights.

What DC is missing for dance nights:
- a 100-150 capacity venue with great sound and DJs every night
- a 300 capacity venue to take the place of Red
- a big room venue to take the place of Nation

manifestation of the information age taken to the max (Brian Miller), Wednesday, 24 January 2007 15:45 (seventeen years ago) link

Thanks. I guess the Buzzlife people are looking for something Nation-size but have yet to find it. When I've reviewed late-night salsa shows at H20, or soca shows at Zanzibar or the Crossroads, those places are jam-packed with folks dancing to djs.

Instead all we may get is a House of Blues (that will compete with 930/black Cat/Birchmere) for live acts and push ticket prices higher. Although that article I read suggested that the existing clubs will be trying to prevent the HOB from coming in.

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Wednesday, 24 January 2007 16:03 (seventeen years ago) link

I don't know anything about the square footage of the site House of Blues is looking at taking, but I would hope/think they're looking at the larger end of their buildouts. A 2000 person venue would be great, right now those acts either go to the 9:30 club at ridiculous prices, go to Constitution Hall, or skip DC. Given the option of opening a larger venue there's no incentive for HoB to open a 9:30 Club sized venue and compete head to head with them.

DC also needs a 4-5000 person concert venue.

manifestation of the information age taken to the max (Brian Miller), Wednesday, 24 January 2007 16:19 (seventeen years ago) link

Also, what the hell is going on with Lincoln Theater and Howard Theater?

manifestation of the information age taken to the max (Brian Miller), Wednesday, 24 January 2007 16:25 (seventeen years ago) link

How many shows a year would come to a 4 to 5,000 person venue? It does not seem like that many to me (correct me if I am wrong). How many does DAR Constitution Hall hold? Doesn't it sit empty alot (I think so)? Don't 2,000 seat venues like Strathmore and slightly smaller ones like the Clarice Smith Center, George Mason Center for the Arts,the National Theater and Lisner sit empty alot (I think so)?
Even the Kennedy Center has theatres sitting dark some nights.

The city is to blame with both the Lincoln and the Howard theaters. The Lincoln Theater seemingly has no budget for promoting shows there; some events there I'd only know about if I happened to be walking by and noticed something on the announcement board they have outside (they may have ocassionally had promoters who advertised stuff on radio; but never in any print media that I saw). Why they have not tried to have more outside promoters regularly do things there, I wish I knew. Now the folks who run it are pleading poor. Years ago 930 club/IMP did a show there, but nothing since. I wonder why.

Who knows when and if the Howard will finally be renovated, and will it be run by the same folks who ran the Lincoln (into the ground)?

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Wednesday, 24 January 2007 16:50 (seventeen years ago) link

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=596&sid=1030008

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Wednesday, 24 January 2007 16:59 (seventeen years ago) link

The issue with all the 2000 capacity venues you listed is that they're all seated - DC needs a larger standing concert venue.

I'd love to see the Uline arena turned back into a concert hall.

DC is so screwy with the old theaters - they want a private rganization to come in and assume all the risk of running them but with heavy restrictions on what they're allowed to do. With nobody clamoring for the Lincoln Theater DC seriously needs to look at relaxing the usage restrictions on the Howard Theater. There's just no incentive for a promoter to shoehorn themselves into DC's economic model when they could open another place without it.

manifestation of the information age taken to the max (Brian Miller), Wednesday, 24 January 2007 17:18 (seventeen years ago) link

I googled the city's 20 some page 2004 proposal for those developers who wish to acquire/use the Howard Theatre. Here's excerpts:

"The Howard Theatre was the nation’s first full-sized theater for African-American audiences and entertainers. Designed by J. Edward Stock and opened in 1910, the 1,200 seat theater was a prominent performing arts center .... to an Offeror that will satisfy the following policy and programmatic objectives through a redevelopment of the Property:

The District envisions the Property as a “mixed-use entertainment facility.” The Offeror is expected to renovate the building into a 500-600 person live entertainment venue with dining and beverages amenities and a museum or gift shop. The Offeror will also be asked to consider making certain commitments to the local community once the Property is redeveloped, such as making the Property available for local arts and entertainment events and providing discounted ticketing for students and seniors. The redeveloped facility should meet (or exceed) the following programmatic and usetargets: 1.Medium size stage for concerts and solo performances with flexible seating (500-600 person) to enable sit-down or dancing formats; 2.Upscale, full-service food and beverage offerings to meeting ongoing operating revenue needs; 3.Designed to accommodate a broad range of special events; 4.Intermittent programming to celebrate the Theatre’s heritage (e.g., annual jazz weekend, summer jazz series, etc.); 5.Restoration of Howard Theatre’s facade to approximate its 1910 appearance."

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Thursday, 25 January 2007 06:29 (seventeen years ago) link

My brother once played hockey in the Uline Arena. That was the only time I was there.

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Thursday, 25 January 2007 16:06 (seventeen years ago) link

Front page of the Washington Post article on the underage in clubs thing. It does not seem clear what Graham wants. The ideal response is much more complicated than anything he seems interested in coming up with.

Also in the W. Post today, The Fake Accents (with several ILXers) are reviewed in the Weekend section. A Gig on Thursday.

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Friday, 26 January 2007 14:50 (seventeen years ago) link

>What DC is missing for dance nights:
- a 100-150 capacity venue with great sound and DJs every night
- a 300 capacity venue to take the place of Red
- a big room venue to take the place of Nation

Brian, Joe Englert is gonna open 2 more places on H. St Ne. One is gonna be called the H St Country Club and feature indoor miniature golf and stuff. Maybe you can get him and his fellow investors to branch out and try to open one of the above items with you doing the programmming!!!...

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Friday, 26 January 2007 14:53 (seventeen years ago) link

Joe Englert doesn't care about dance people.

THE POLITICO (Brian Miller), Friday, 26 January 2007 15:08 (seventeen years ago) link

I figured you could chomp on a cigar with a proposal in hand and convince him that he could make money on them dance people even if he doesn't care about 'em.

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Friday, 26 January 2007 15:12 (seventeen years ago) link

It's interesting - the Rock & Roll Hotel bookers certainly see the value in DJs, but given the choice he's never going to develop a venue that caters to that. If I were really interested in opening a place and having it bankrolled by an existing nightlife mogul, I think I'd at least pick someone who put money into their places! Probably the best bet for any enterprising club owner is to watch which of the new venues are underperforming - that way all the building systems are upgraded and the licensing is already in place.

THE POLITICO (Brian Miller), Friday, 26 January 2007 15:17 (seventeen years ago) link

So according to the Washington Auto Show site, Georgie James have been playing XM radio sponsored shows there at the Convention Center since Wednesday night. Tonight they are there at 6 and Saturday night at 7. It's 10 bucks to see them and all the cars and stuff though.

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Friday, 26 January 2007 20:37 (seventeen years ago) link

Oops, it's 6 o'clock both nights

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Friday, 26 January 2007 20:42 (seventeen years ago) link

without a lot of the VA crowd

hey!

Mary (Mary), Saturday, 27 January 2007 01:09 (seventeen years ago) link

Yea, all us Virginia residents are the same. I know you didn't mean us! I remember going to a party in DC way back and listening to some Dupont Circle area folks snear at my then PG County residence. The snearing was bad enough, but the fact that those folks made it out to less interesting stuff around town than PG County me made it even more pathetic. They also acted like PG was hours away from DC. A buddy of mine and I joked that we should do a "Tour and Learn about Prince Georges County bus trip for DC hipsters."

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Monday, 29 January 2007 18:46 (seventeen years ago) link

Mary, clearly I wasn't talking about you - you never come out anywhere!

fuck mountain (Brian Miller), Monday, 29 January 2007 21:16 (seventeen years ago) link

hey guys what's going on over here

say it with blood diamonds (a_p), Monday, 29 January 2007 21:24 (seventeen years ago) link

brian's picking on mary!

Mr. Que (Mr.Que), Monday, 29 January 2007 21:25 (seventeen years ago) link

OK Brian, explain how a stereotypical Virginian acts in a DC club. Or maybe tell a joke, you know how many people from Virginia does it take to change a lightbulb or something... Of course people from Northern Virginia are allowed to stereotype those from the rest of the state!

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Tuesday, 30 January 2007 04:11 (seventeen years ago) link

i heard a stereotypical virginian got beat up in a club

say it with blood diamonds (a_p), Tuesday, 30 January 2007 16:15 (seventeen years ago) link

Alright, time to move on. So with the changeover of WETA to all classical all the time, Nick Spitzer's American Routes show and the syndicated Afropop Worldwide show have disappeared from the local airwaves. That makes me sad, as I liked listening to those programs in my car. Mary Cliff's longtime WETA folk show is apparently moving to WAMU (which is a good thing as it is well respected but I never listened to it that much). Commercial classical station WGMS is now just another one of those MOR pop/80s stations that DC now has several of. Ugh.

In my car I can pick up 92 Q out of Baltimore which I find to be a superior commercial rap/r'n'b outlet to KYS and PGC most of the time.

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Tuesday, 30 January 2007 17:07 (seventeen years ago) link

http://www.dcsoulrecordings.com/index.php

Woah, that's alot of research and crate-digging. I've never heard Coombes spin at St Ex on Thursdays

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Friday, 2 February 2007 18:33 (seventeen years ago) link

I bet that big step show at Lisner Saturday will be alot of fun, really (even if I think the frat system is demeaning). I'll be checking out local salsa and mariachi bands performing with the Washington Ballet at the Kennedy Center though.

from the Lisner site:
"Alpha Phi Alpha presents

Step Show 2007: Step Your Game Up

The Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity will host their 10th annual charity step show Feb. 3 to benefit the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Fund and the Black Genesis Scholarship Fund.
The show, Step Your Game Up, will feature "traditional step dancing" and hip-hop dance performances by GW's Capital Funk and Georgetown University's Groove Theory, said junior Eric Woodard, president of Alpha Phi Alpha. The chapter will also host an after party in the Continental Ballroom of the Marvin Center."

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Friday, 2 February 2007 22:20 (seventeen years ago) link

Oh boy, it's that WAMMIES time of year again--see below. The nominees are on their website(ah yes, I remember when they gave the Slickee Boys the award for best heavy metal band, and then one year I think all their blues nominees were white blues-rockers). And no local club dj is spinning cuts in between presentations and performances. I'm shocked (said sarcastically). Actually, a few of the performances look they could be good (Ruth Brown tribute, Howling Mad). Is Bob Schieffer that CBS national news guy? He's a local music fan? I know that WTOP radio guy Neil Augenstein used to follow the DC punk scene and maybe played in a band, but I don't know about Bob.

The 21st Annual WammiesTM
at The State Theatre
220 N. Washington Falls Church, VA
Sunday February 18, 2007 - 8:00PM

Performers Include: (in Alpha Order)
Ruth Brown Remembrance
featuring Daryl Davis, Ruby Hayes, Melanie Mason,
Mavis Waters, & Cha Chi Goyette
Fools & Horses
Wil Harris Band
Shane Hines & the Trance
Hoag, Kelley & Pilzer
The Howling Mad
Robert Lighthouse
Randy Waller & the Country Gentlemen

Host:
Bob Schieffer
Neal Augenstein

Keynote:

Fred Cannon
SVP, Government Relations
BMI

Pit Band:
Tommy Lepson Band

After Event Party:
Ireland's Four Provences

Scythian

Tickets:
$25 Non WAMA Members
$15 WAMA Members (up to 4)
$10 Nominees (up to 10 per nominated group). .
$550 Corporate Table of 8 (includes full page ad in souvenir program, admission to pre-reception)(Camera-ready ad deadline Feb 3)
$300 Corporate Table of 4 (includes half page ad in souvenir program, admission to pre-reception)(Camera-ready ad deadline Feb 3)
$100 Patron Table of 2 (includes recognition in souvenir program, admission to pre-reception)(program deadline Feb 3)

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Monday, 5 February 2007 13:53 (seventeen years ago) link

http://www.crosstownarts.com/wama/the_wammies.html

Check out the electronica and other nominees (it looks like they left alot of folks out)... No local dancehall artists under reggae I see. I forget what category I saw them under, but is Basehead still together and performing locally?

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Monday, 5 February 2007 14:14 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm a little surprised that Deep Dish is nominated for best live performers in the Electronica division, as I'm pretty sure they didn't perform live anywhere around here in 2006 and only spun together maybe once.

YAAAAAOW! (Brian Miller), Monday, 5 February 2007 14:31 (seventeen years ago) link


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